Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
"Bridging the Green Skills Gap: An Action Learning Plan for Sustainable Workforce Development in Serbia" (Green skills analysis)
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that the majority of workers in Serbia lack green skills, which are essential for transitioning to an environmentally sustainable economy. Specifically, only one in nine workers in Serbia has at least one green skill, and there are significant gender and age disparities in the acquisition of these skills.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
The challenge of cultivating green skills in Serbia has been driven by the global need for an environmentally sustainable economic transition. The current situation reveals a significant gap in green skills among the workforce, with only 11.3% of workers possessing at least one green skill. This gap is further exacerbated by gender disparities, where men are more likely to have green skills than women, and by age disparities, with younger workers (18-24) having the lowest levels of green skills. The undesired effects include limited participation in green jobs, slower progress towards sustainability, and unequal opportunities for different demographic groups.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
LinkedIn Campaign Manager tool audience estimates for Serbia (March 2024)
LinkedIn Global Green Skills Report 2023
(LinkedIn Data on Green Skills, Gender Disparities, Age Group Analysis, Seniority Levels, Green Skills Supply and Demand, and Specific Industry Data)
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Underrepresentation of Younger Professionals:
The data reveals that the 18-24 age group shows the lowest numbers in green skill areas, indicating fewer opportunities or less experience in these fields for younger professionals. This underrepresentation suggests a need for more education and opportunities in green skills for the younger demographic.
Gender Disparities in Green Skills:
Despite women being 20% more likely to have skills related to sustainable development and the circular economy, they are underrepresented in the global workforce, particularly in renewable energy roles. In Serbia, women represent only 35.5% in renewable energy roles compared to 49% overall in all industries.
Skills Gap at Managerial Levels:
There is a noticeable decrease in green skills at the managerial level, indicating a potential skills gap at this level. This might reflect the natural pyramid structure of organizations or highlight an area where targeted upskilling is necessary.
Importance of Green Skills at Higher Leadership Levels:
The data suggests that green skills become more important again at higher levels of leadership (Director level), likely due to the strategic nature of sustainability and environmental considerations in business decision-making.
Gender Gap in Renewable Energy Roles:
Women are underrepresented in renewable energy roles, both globally and in Serbia. In Serbia, women represent only 35.5% in these roles, compared to 44% globally in other industries.
Emerging Trends in Sustainability-Focused Finance Skills:
Although data for Serbia was too small to measure certain green finance skills, there is a promising trend globally where workers are rapidly developing skills that bridge the finance and sustainability domains. This trend indicates a growing importance of sustainability-focused finance skills, even though it's nascent in Serbia.
Potential Green Skills Shortage:
The rapid increase in job postings requiring green skills (22.4% growth from 2022 to 2023) outpacing the increase in workers with green skills (12.3% growth) raises the prospect of an imminent green skills shortage.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
The unique value proposition of our Accelerator Lab in addressing this challenge lies in our ability to leverage data-driven insights to identify and address skill gaps. Our focus on inclusive and equitable upskilling initiatives ensures that all segments of the workforce, regardless of gender or age, have the opportunity to acquire green skills. By investing resources in this challenge, we can drive a transformative shift towards a green economy, unlocking the full potential of the Serbian workforce.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
Our challenge is to bridge the green skills gap in Serbia's workforce, ensuring equal opportunities for all in the transition to a sustainable economy. #GreenSkills #SustainableFuture #Serbia
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Public sector
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Policy support and funding for green skill development programs.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Educational Institutions
What sector does our partner belong to?
Academia
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Education sector - Integration of green skills into curricula and training programs.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
UNDP CO
What sector does our partner belong to?
United Nations
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Resilient development cluster
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
What are the most effective strategies for closing the green skills gap in Serbia, particularly among underrepresented groups such as women and young professionals?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Sense, Explore, Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Data Analysis and Data Collection:
To identify specific skill gaps and target demographics, as well as to measure the effectiveness of interventions over time.
Participatory Design:
To involve various stakeholders, including educators, employers, and the workforce, in co-creating educational and training programs that address the specific needs and barriers faced by different demographic groups.
Human-Centered Design:
To ensure that the solutions developed are tailored to the actual needs and experiences of the individuals who will be acquiring green skills, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility.
Foresight and Future Analysis:
To anticipate future trends and demands in green skills, ensuring that the training programs are forward-looking and prepare the workforce for upcoming changes in the green economy.
Experimentation and Prototyping:
To test and refine new approaches to green skill development quickly and iteratively, allowing for the identification and scaling of the most effective strategies.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
The new data sources address gaps in understanding the specific green skills needed across different industries and demographics, providing a clearer picture of where interventions are most needed.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
Early champions for this challenge include educational institutions, industry leaders committed to sustainability, government agencies focused on labor and economic development, and NGOs advocating for environmental and social equity. Collaborating with these stakeholders early on will help scale the initiatives and create a broader impact.
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
4Quality education
8Decent work and economic growth
13Climate action
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